Baicalin, a flavone, induces the differentiation of cultured osteoblasts: an action via the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway.

ABSTRACT: Flavonoids, a group of natural compounds found in a variety of vegetables and herbal medicines, have been intensively reported on regarding their estrogen-like activities and particularly their ability to affect bone metabolism. Here, different subclasses of flavonoids were screened for their osteogenic properties by measuring alkaline phosphatase activity in cultured rat osteoblasts. The flavone baicalin derived mainly from the roots of Scutellaria baicalensis showed the strongest induction of alkaline phosphatase activity. In cultured osteoblasts, application of baicalin increased significantly the osteoblastic mineralization and the levels of mRNAs encoding the bone differentiation markers, including osteonectin, osteocalcin, and collagen type 1α1. Interestingly, the osteogenic effect o

SUBMITTER: Guo AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3151034 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature